characterise
gb/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/ us/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
B2
Englisch
Bedeutungen
0 Bedeutungen
Verb
formal
B2
action
1
describe key qualities
To say what someone or something is like, focusing on the most important features.
Verwendungsmuster:
characterise [someone/something]
Häufiger Fehler:
Often spelled characterize in American English; avoid confusing it with the noun characteristic.
Synonyme
describe (More general and less formal.)
|
define (Often suggests stating essential qualities or limits more precisely.)
|
depict (Emphasises presenting an image, often in writing or art.)
Antonyme
misrepresent (Describes something inaccurately or misleadingly.)
|
obscure (Makes the true qualities harder to see or understand.)
Wortverbindungen
characterise a person
|characterise a situation
|characterise the problem
|characterise the period
|characterise the relationship
|characterise the difference
|characterise the approach
|attempt to characterise
|difficult to characterise
|accurately characterise
Themen
communication
|education
|writing
Beispiele
- It’s hard to characterise his music because it mixes several styles.
- The report characterises the new policy as risky and expensive.
- She tried to characterise the mood in the office after the announcement.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Can you characterise his personality?
- The article characterises the city as friendly.
Verb
formal
C1
relation
2
be typical of something
To be something that is common or special in a person or thing.
Verwendungsmuster:
[something] characterises [someone/something]
Häufiger Fehler:
Learners may wrongly use it for one-time events; it usually refers to typical, repeated features.
Synonyme
mark (Highlights something as a noticeable sign or feature.)
|
distinguish (Emphasises making something different from others.)
Antonyme
be uncharacteristic of (Describes something that is not typical.)
Wortverbindungen
characterise an era
|characterise a style
|characterise his work
|characterise her leadership
|characterise the system
|characterise the region
|characterise the genre
|characterise the movement
|the optimism that characterises
|the violence that characterises
Themen
communication
|writing
Beispiele
- A sense of humour characterises much of her writing.
- High humidity characterises the region in summer.
- Speed and precision characterise the best teams.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Kindness characterises her work.
- Long winters characterise this area.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
portray in writing or art
To show a person or situation in a story in a certain way.
Verwendungsmuster:
characterise [someone/something] as [something]
Häufiger Fehler:
Do not confuse characterise (describe/portray) with act (perform a role).
Synonyme
portray (Common in arts contexts; focuses on representation.)
|
depict (Often suggests a vivid, detailed picture.)
|
present (More neutral; focuses on how something is shown to an audience.)
Antonyme
whitewash (Portrays someone or something as better than they really are.)
|
caricature (Overstates features for humour or criticism rather than a balanced portrayal.)
Wortverbindungen
characterise a hero
|characterise a villain
|characterise the protagonist
|characterise the narrator
|characterise a relationship
|characterise the setting
|characterise someone as
|strongly characterise
|clearly characterise
|subtly characterise
Themen
arts
|media
|writing
Beispiele
- The film characterises the detective as lonely but determined.
- In the novel, the city is characterised as both beautiful and cruel.
- The journalist was criticised for how she characterised the protesters.
Beispiele für Lernende
- The book characterises him as brave.
- The movie characterises the town as dangerous.
Verb
technical
C1
process
4
identify and describe scientifically
To study something carefully to find out its properties.
Verwendungsmuster:
characterise [material/substance/system]
Häufiger Fehler:
In scientific writing, characterise is broader than measure: it usually includes identifying what something is and what properties it has.
Synonyme
analyse (Focuses on examining parts or data to understand something.)
|
profile (Often means creating a summary set of measured features.)
|
identify (Can be narrower: finding what something is, not necessarily all properties.)
Antonyme
leave unanalysed (Does not examine or describe properties.)
Wortverbindungen
characterise a material
|characterise a compound
|characterise a sample
|characterise a protein
|characterise a virus
|characterise the structure
|characterise the surface
|characterise the data
|fully characterise
|characterise experimentally
Themen
science
|technology
|education
Beispiele
- The team used microscopy to characterise the surface of the coating.
- Researchers are working to characterise the new strain of the virus.
- The study characterises how the material behaves under stress.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Scientists characterise the new material.
- We need to characterise the sample first.
Grammatik
Grundform
characterise
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
US/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz/
Silben & Betonung
char - ac - ter - ise (4 Silben)
Stress on 1st syllable (char)
Wortformen
Verb
- Base: characterise
- 3rd Person Singular: characterises
- Present Participle: characterising
- Past: characterised
Wortfamilie
Forms
characterises
verb
characterising
verb
characterised
verb
Core family
Related words
characteristically
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
mischaracterise
verb
mischaracterisation
noun
Ausdrücke
be characterised by [something]
1/bˈi t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪzd bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
have a typical feature
To have something as a typical or main feature.
Beispiele
- The 1990s were characterised by rapid technological change.
- Her leadership style is characterised by calm decision-making.
- The disease is characterised by severe fatigue.
characterise [someone/something] as [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ ˈæz sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe someone in a way
To say that someone or something is a particular kind of person or thing.
Beispiele
- He characterised the decision as a mistake.
- The newspaper characterised her as a brilliant negotiator.
- Several witnesses characterised the night as chaotic.
characterise [something] by [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈʌmθɪŋ bˈaɪ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe using a key feature
To describe something mainly by one important feature.
Beispiele
- You can characterise the market by the level of competition.
- The two approaches are characterised by different assumptions.
- The authors characterise the period by political instability.
characterise [something] in terms of [something]
1/t͡ʃˈɑɹˈæktɚˌaɪz sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɪn tˈɚmz əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
describe using a framework
To explain something mainly by using a particular set of ideas or measures.
Beispiele
- The problem is often characterised in terms of cost rather than safety.
- He characterised success in terms of long-term impact.
- The researchers characterised the response in terms of peak intensity and duration.